is Radio Shack disbanding next year?

[Dimtick]

there is a story today about Andy Schlecks new team. The article mentions team Radio Shack...

"In an extensive interview with Spanish sports daily Marca, Schleck played down comparisons between the Luxembourg Pro Cycling Project and Team RadioShack, which was essentially built around the comeback of Lance Armstrong and will disband at the end of next year."

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/schleck-looks-ahead-to-the-luxembourg-life

this is the first that I've heard that Radio Shack will dsiband. We all know that the RS sponsorship deal ends next year but I always thought they'd get just get a new sponsor.

 

[Anonymous]

Ive always assumed they would dispand.. With no Lance there is no motivation for either him, or Bruyneel to continue with the team. You dont really believe that armstrong has any interest in doing anything for riders other than himself do you.

I think the fact they let Phinney go shows what interest lance, johann, tailwind blah blah blah have in keeping the team going.

 

[erader]

Ive always assumed they would dispand.. With no Lance there is no motivation for either him, or Bruyneel to continue with the team. You dont really believe that armstrong has any interest in doing anything for riders other than himself do you.

I think the fact they let Phinney go shows what interest lance, johann, tailwind blah blah blah have in keeping the team going.

i thought phinney fled RS and lance was ****ed that he did?

erader

 

[skidmark]

i thought phinney fled RS and lance was ****ed that he did?

erader

yeah when Phinney signed with BMC he explicitly stated one of the reasons was that RadioShack couldn't offer him a guarantee that they'd be around after next year and he wanted to be in a team environment where he could grow. So this isn't necessarily new news, aside from the fact that many of us probably assumed they would fold once He Who Must Not Be Named was out of the picture.

 

[TERMINATOR]

there is a story today about Andy Schlecks new team. The article mentions team Radio Shack...

"In an extensive interview with Spanish sports daily Marca, Schleck played down comparisons between the Luxembourg Pro Cycling Project and Team RadioShack, which was essentially built around the comeback of Lance Armstrong and will disband at the end of next year."

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/schleck-looks-ahead-to-the-luxembourg-life

this is the first that I've heard that Radio Shack will dsiband. We all know that the RS sponsorship deal ends next year but I always thought they'd get just get a new sponsor.

Radio Shack sponsored Lance based on his Tour comeback before this whole doping thing was started by Floyd. Despite the public image that they support Lance in those stupid commercials with the fat nerd Alfonso...Radio Shack doesn't want to get caught standing when the music stops.

And by music stopping, I mean when the grand jury starts returning indictments and half of Lance's team and inner circle goes down. Lying to the federal grand jury doesn't help.

I am 99% certain Lance is going to be charged with a doping violation by USADA as well.

If you look at Lance's statements and everyone else, they think lying is some kind of game. Evidently, Lance and his entourage didn't learn a damn thing from the Tammy Thomas case...they think they are untouchable.

We'll see about that. And Radio Shack's cute little inhouse attorney who lambasted Floyd on the team website after the emails were released was smart enough to then remove them once it became obvious the feds were involved.

Radio Shack knows Lance is radioactive and they are planning a graceful exit. Schleck is right. And Levi might want to start practicing "do you want fries with that?" since USADA is also gonna punch him in his bald head for transfusing blood during the Tour de France with Allen Lim's assistance.

 

[BotanyBay]

there is a story today about Andy Schlecks new team. The article mentions team Radio Shack...

"In an extensive interview with Spanish sports daily Marca, Schleck played down comparisons between the Luxembourg Pro Cycling Project and Team RadioShack, which was essentially built around the comeback of Lance Armstrong and will disband at the end of next year."

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/schleck-looks-ahead-to-the-luxembourg-life

this is the first that I've heard that Radio Shack will dsiband. We all know that the RS sponsorship deal ends next year but I always thought they'd get just get a new sponsor.

So many fans of this sport still think that the team does not have a structure apart from its sponsor. Rarely does a team disband until they know they can't find a new one.

 

[Anonymous]

Whats disturbing me more, is the fact that Lance will no doubt find someway to be in the team car in paris and once more dominate proceedings on the champs elysees with some tasteless media campaign. Weve had the lance goodbye parades, now we get the levi etc goodbye parades.

 

[Barrus]

So many fans of this sport still think that the team does not have a structure apart from its sponsor. Rarely does a team disband until they know they can't find a new one.

However unlike most other teams, as far as I know most of the RS riders do not have a contract that extends beyond the coming year. Other than that is that they have no big draw when it comes to sponsors. There is no rider/ are no riders which would warrant a big sponsor to come on board.

 

[Anonymous]

However unlike most other teams, as far as I know most of the RS riders do not have a contract that extends beyond the coming year. Other than that is that they have no big draw when it comes to sponsors. There is no rider/ are no riders which would warrant a big sponsor to come on board.

SAGA, Stanna Stairlifts, there are countless opportunities

 

[Barrus]

SAGA, Stanna Stairlifts, there are countless opportunities

But still, enough to warrant such an expensive team as RS is as the moment?

 

[janraaskalt]

Other than that is that they have no big draw when it comes to sponsors. There is no rider/ are no riders which would warrant a big sponsor to come on board.

Besides that, they also don't have a clear profile. What is a typical Radioshack rider?

Leipheimer and Horner won't be in their prime in 2012. Without them, the team is not American anymore. It will be very difficult to find a new sponsor.

 

[AngusW]

RS end their sponsorship next year. The ProTour licence is valid for another two years after that and is presumably in Bruyneel's name. It sounds like he's retiring when Lance does (ie next year). It's hard to imagine the team continuing without the manager and the cash drawcard. The only way I think that will happen is if Bruyneel does stay on and/or Armstrong takes an active owner/manager role with the team.

 

[AnythingButKestrel]

Disband*ing*? I'm not so sure that they haven't already effectively disbanded. Team RS will probably show up for the TDU, but with Lancy-boy skipping or abandoning every race he's signed up for (save for a running event) since the TDF, 2011 is looking pretty doubtful. RS really has no US visibility without the star performer.

Do the riders have contracts? Yes, but once the TDU $2M appearance fee is earned by LA (at which I'm guessing Lance will perform exactly enough "work" to rake in the dough, then abandon the race), it will be cheaper for RS to simply pay off the contracts and avoid the rest of the racing expenses for 2011.

That's what most of the young stars know and probably why they have jumped.

 

[dotcycling]

New riders joining the team for next year have 12 month contracts.

 

[Parrulo]

should had already disbanded this year. the hog is wasting machado and janek so i hope to see them ride for some other team as soon as possible.

 

[Cobblestoned]

Oh dear.
Another panic attack provocated by a CN author.

How often has that topic been discussed now ?

Why is there only such a never ending DRAMA when its about RS, and not about other teams that have/had ending sponsorship contracts ?

This is normal business and this is cycling. You find a sponsor, or not.
You can start to panic when there is not a new sponsor after the TdF.

Lance won't find a sponsor...
TRS won't start the tour 2010...
TRS will be gone after TdF bla bla...
TRS will be gone before season ends wah bla...
There will be no TRS in 2011 wah wah...
TRS will be gone bla blupp...

 

[janraaskalt]

New riders joining the team for next year have 12 month contracts.

That is not allowed for neo pros, hence Kwiatkowski will have 2 year contract.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

That is not allowed for neo pros, hence Kwiatkowski will have 2 year contract.

I'm taking evens on Kwiatkowski being with Movistar for 2011. Radioshack may or may not survive. If they change entity but are still the same team he's under contract, but if Bruyneel's retirement means a change in the licensee (ie new company in charge) then he'll be free. And we know that Unzué absolutely loves him.

 

[Ferminal]

The sponsorship isn't the issue I don't think (if Lance et al wanted to continue with it), just whether or not the Hog can be stuffed running a team after this year. If the Hog/Lance aren't a key part of the running of the team then it's as good as a new team.

I hope the U23 team sticks around though.

 

[El Pistolero]

I bet Steegmans would feel like a total idiot if they disband next year.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

i hope so. they are a waste of a PT spot.

 

[Anonymous]

Maybe Bruyneel will take his PT licence to fly-v

 

[NashbarShorts]

Lance will disappear (at least for a few years), but I seriously doubt Bruyneel will retire. The man knows nothing else. He will emerge from the Lance investigations perhaps a bit tarred, but pretty sure we'll see him driving a team car in 2011-2012. He is not so wealthy that he can "retire" as such (has small children to raise). Besides, these guys ego's will not let them.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Disband*ing*? I'm not so sure that they haven't already effectively disbanded. Team RS will probably show up for the TDU, but with Lancy-boy skipping or abandoning every race he's signed up for (save for a running event) since the TDF, 2011 is looking pretty doubtful. RS really has no US visibility without the star performer.

Do the riders have contracts? Yes, but once the TDU $2M appearance fee is earned by LA (at which I'm guessing Lance will perform exactly enough "work" to rake in the dough, then abandon the race), it will be cheaper for RS to simply pay off the contracts and avoid the rest of the racing expenses for 2011.

That's what most of the young stars know and probably why they have jumped.

They have signed new riders for this year. It is difficult to imagine why they would bother doing that if they weren't planning to race the 2011 season.

Phil Deignan was the most recent one. As I understand it they could only give him a one year contract, which indicates that they almost certainly don't have a headline sponsor for 2012 lined up. But they'd hardly have signed him in the first place if they were going to effectively wind up a few weeks or months into 2011.

 

[AnythingButKestrel]

They have signed new riders for this year. It is difficult to imagine why they would bother doing that if they weren't planning to race the 2011 season.

You could well be correct. RS Corporate really doesn't seem to care about their boy's rep, so they may finish out 2011 no matter what happens. I still think that at some point they may want to beg out of racing early after they get renamed "Team Radioactive."